Filing cabinet



May 13, 1941.

W. W. NOBLE FILING CABINET Filed April 26. 1940 Patented May 13, 194i UNTE S'PES @FH-@Til 2 Claims.

This invention relates to ling cabinets, and its principal object is to provide a cabinet in which small sheets, such as contain prescriptions, may be safely stored, and provided with a swinging and sliding door which may be slid back into e. closed space under the top of the cabinet, where- -by to hold the door in open position while the contents of the cabinet are removed and examined.

Another object is to provide a false top, forming with the true top of the cabinet a slide way in which the door is slid, whereby to prevent the door from jamming or otherwise disturbing the sheets filed in the cabinet.

Another object is to provide novel means for limiting outward movement of the door from the slide way, and p-roviding a swinging connection between the cabinet and door, whereby the door may be swung up and pushed back into the slideway, or withdrawn therefrom and swung down into closed position.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of this specification, and with such objects and advantages in View, this invention consists in the several novel features of construction, arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a ling cabinet embodying a simple form of the present invention, showing the door closed.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section showing the door open.

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation and partly in vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan partly broken out to show its interior construction.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View of the upper left hand corner of the parts seen in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged Vertical longitudinal section of the upper left hand corner of the parts seen in Fig. 1, with the door partly open.

Referring to said drawing, the reference character 1 designates a rectangular cabinet desirably formed of sheet metal, so that the contents may have some measure of protection against nre. The cabinet comprises a top wall 8, a bottom wall 9, side walls l0, and one end wall ll, suitably secured together as by spot welding. The front of the cabinet is open and is closed by a swinging and sliding door l2, which ts fairly tight in the opening at the front of the cabinet.

A knob i3 secured to the lower end of the door provides means for manipulating it.

Spaced a short distance below the top wall i3 is a false top iii, paralleling the tcp wall and having upturned side flanges l5, spot welded or otherwise secured to the side walls lil. At the front of the false top is an upturned flange le, of less width than the false top so as to leave gaps between the side walls lil and the end edges of the ange IG, through which the hereinafter mentioned anges of the door may move when moving the door into or out of the space S between the top wall and false top.

The door I2 also is desirably formed of light guage sheet metal, and is formed with side flanges Il and end iianges I8, I9 for giving the door rigidity and strength. The end iiange i9 is bent upon itself to provide a lip 2i), the purpose of which will be presently explained and the side iianges il are cut away along inclined lines beginning at the edge of the lip, as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 6.

In'Fig. 1 it will be seen that the ange i9 of the door rests upon the upstanding end ange it of the false top and that the inclined edges of the side flanges of the door engage with the front edges of the false top at the ends of the iiange le, and the lip 2&3 engages with the back. of said flange i6, thereby holding the upper end of the door in position when closed.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 5 the door is shown open and partly contained in the space 6 between the top wall and false top, with its side flanges il resting on the false top, and in Fig. 6 the door is shown in a position intermediate its closed and open positions. It will be seen that the edge of the lip 2] fulcrurns on the false top and that the body of the door slides over the top of the end flange it. From this position it may be swung into parallelism with the top wall and slid into the space between the tcp wall and false top, or may be swung down into closed position.

A paper le 2i of conventional form is shown in the cabinet in Fig. 1, upon which may be held a sheaf of papers 22, such as physicians prescription sheets. Prescription sheets are frequently handled in the course oi time and become rumpled and wrinkled, and unless the top wall 8 were made abnormally high, the door would disarrange the sheets when slid under the top wall, and itmight curl or tear some of the upper ones. By providing the false top directly below the top wall, the iile may be fully loaded with the sheets and when contained in the cabinet they are protected from the door by the false top, wheres by the door may be frequently opened and slid back above the false top without disturbing the sheets.

With a filing cabinet of the character described prescription sheets may be safely stored away for an indefinite length of time, and are readily accessible when needed. The door may bear a label on which the usual identification numbers or other data, concerning the contents of the cabinet may be written.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A ling cabinet having top and bottom walls, side walls and an end wall, the other end being open, a false top disposed below the top wall and secured to the side walls of the cabinet, said false top having an upturned flange at its front end, of less width than the width of the interior of the cabinet to provide gaps between the side walls and flange, a door for closing the open front of the cabinet, said door having side and end flanges, one end flange being formed with a lip arranged to engage the back of the upturned flange of the false top when the door is closed, and the side anges of the door being arranged to engage the front edge of the false top where- |by to position the upper end of the door when closed, and the side flanges thereof being arranged to pass through said gaps when the door is being raised and to ride upon the false top when the door is being slid into the space between the top wall and false top.

2. A iiling cabinet having top and bottom Walls, side walls and an end wall, the other end being open, a false top below the top wall and secured to the side walls of the cabinet, said false top having an upturned flange at its front end of less width than the width of the interior of the cabinet to provide gaps between the side walls and flange, a swingable and slida-ble door for closing the open front of the cabinet, said door having side and end flanges, one end iiange being formed with a lip arranged to engage the back of the upturned flange of the false top when the door is closed, and the side flanges of the door having upwardly inclined edges arranged to engage the front edge of the false top, with the lip engaging the back of the upturned flange whereby to position the upper end of the door when closed, and the side anges thereof being arranged to pass through said gaps when the door is being raised and to ride upon the false top when the door is being slid into the space between` the top wall and false top.

WILLIAM W. NOBLE. 

